Ai Weiwei: "Beijing is a nightmare."

[Dirt]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...mare-city.html

Ai Weiwei's new opinion piece in Newsweek. The thought I could disappear just with disagreeing with the Republican Party or the Democrat Party scares me to my core. Especially since I am such a vocal person. Thankfully, I live in the USA. Hopefully, someday, my fellow Chinese on the Mainland can live freely and without such fears.

[Ken Cheng]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...mare-city.html

Ai Weiwei's new opinion piece in Newsweek. The thought I could disappear just with disagreeing with the Republican Party or the Democrat Party scares me to my core. Especially since I am such a vocal person. Thankfully, I live in the USA. Hopefully, someday, my fellow Chinese on the Mainland can live freely and without such fears.

I hope so too, but frankly, I'm not sanguine about it: the thing about the Chinese mentality, inculcated through thousands of years of Legalism and Confucianism, is that if you give the Chinese a choice, they will somehow end up choosing authoritarianism for themselves.

Chalk it up to a civilization that prizes social harmony above all else (including individual freedom and justice).

[Trien Chieu]

I am not saying government of China is saint, but Ai Weiwei exaggerated the whole situation. He crossed the line that he shouldn't cross. He needs to learn that "Take one step back, there is a great sky and plain". In Chinese that is 退一步海闊天空. If he minds his own business like 99%+ of the Chinese population, nothing will happen to him.

[Ken Cheng]

If you give the Chinese a choice, they will somehow end up choosing authoritarianism for themselves.

Chalk it up to a civilization that prizes social harmony above all else (including individual freedom and justice).

He crossed the line that he shouldn't cross. He needs to learn that "Take one step back, there is a great sky and plain". In Chinese that is 退一步海闊天空. If he minds his own business like 99%+ of the Chinese population, nothing will happen to him.

See what I mean, Dennis?

[Dirt]

I am not saying government of China is saint, but Ai Weiwei exaggerated the whole situation. He crossed the line that he shouldn't cross. He needs to learn that "Take one step back, there is a great sky and plain". In Chinese that is 退一步海闊天空. If he minds his own business like 99%+ of the Chinese population, nothing will happen to him.

Sage advice. One that we should all ponder (particualarly me) the next time I decide to make waves and unbalance the social harmony on SPCNET.tv by saying something provocative .

[remember_Cedric]

See what I mean, Dennis?

You're so funny, Ken, but I agree with you.

[Ren Wo Xing]

I am not saying government of China is saint, but Ai Weiwei exaggerated the whole situation. He crossed the line that he shouldn't cross. He needs to learn that "Take one step back, there is a great sky and plain". In Chinese that is 退一步海闊天空. If he minds his own business like 99%+ of the Chinese population, nothing will happen to him.

Trien, I've seen you quoting the phrase "忍一时风平浪静,退一步海阔天空", but I think you really don't understand the meaning behind it. The phrase doesn't mean that one should basically suck it up and not try to do anything risky; rather, in Chinese culture, what the saying is in the context that when you are extremely agitated/angry, if you don't control yourself and act rashly, you can cause more harm than good. Therefore, it is best to control your rash urges for a while you calm down (the wind calms and the waves grow still), at which point, you can see the greater picture (the breadth of the sea, the vastness of the sky) and then, calmly, act accordingly.

"忍一时风平浪静,退一步海阔天空" is thus an admonition to act calmly and after having fully considered the situation, ie, not to act rashly; it is an admonition against rashness, not risk in and of itself.

[Trien Chieu]

See what I mean, Dennis?

Ken, if he wants freedom, democracy and human rights, he should move to countries like Canada or the US. China wasn't, isn't, and will never be such country where you can criticize the government freely on serious issues. Average Chinese know what they can say and what they can't. He is an intellectual, don't tell me he didn't know the consequences for what he did. He shouldn't investigate government corruption and cover ups.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei

[Dirt]

Is Hong Kong not China? Is Taiwan not China? Is Macau not China?

[Cesare]

I hope so too, but frankly, I'm not sanguine about it: the thing about the Chinese mentality, inculcated through thousands of years of Legalism and Confucianism, is that if you give the Chinese a choice, they will somehow end up choosing authoritarianism for themselves.

Chalk it up to a civilization that prizes social harmony above all else (including individual freedom and justice).

While I sincerely hope the Chinese will one day enjoy greater personal freedom and individual rights, I rather like this mentality, y'know.
I'm getting fed up with individualism. When self-expression, self-fulfillment and self-serving become the alpha and the omega in a society, something is seriously wrong. I see it happening in this neck of the woods and I'm sick of it.
I'm more or less a liberal, but when I see all those people who seem to think that merely wanting something automatically entitles you to it, something just snaps in my head and I become a legalist (it usually passes after a few minutes, but the older I get, the more I'm inclined to think that Shang Yang kind of had a point).

(BTW, as long as you have some sort of organized society, "individual freedom" is a rather illusory notion, anyway.)

[Ken Cheng]

While I sincerely hope the Chinese will one day enjoy greater personal freedom and individual rights, I rather like this mentality, y'know.
I'm getting fed up with individualism. When self-expression, self-fulfillment and self-serving become the alpha and the omega in a society, something is seriously wrong. I see it happening in this neck of the woods and I'm sick of it.
I'm more or less a liberal, but when I see all those people who seem to think that merely wanting something automatically entitles you to it, something just snaps in my head and I become a legalist (it usually passes after a few minutes, but the older I get, the more I'm inclined to think that Shang Yang kind of had a point).

(BTW, as long as you have some sort of organized society, "individual freedom" is a rather illusory notion, anyway.)

You're thinking of Americans, who take it to the *other* extreme.

A healthy reality lies somewhere halfway between the American way and the Chinese way.

[Trien Chieu]

Cesare, individualism is supposedly the best but the problem is people abuse the rights they have. Overall, I think legalism is the best.

[Cesare]

You're thinking of Americans, who take it to the *other* extreme.

A healthy reality lies somewhere halfway between the American way and the Chinese way.

Not just the US...:-) You can see displays of that attitude in any society that gives its people freedom, comfort and safety and doesn't demand much in return. That's basically the whole West and a significant portion of the Eastern Europe.
I agree that a healthy society should strike a balance between the two. Trouble is, that balance (if it is found at all) never seems to last long.

[Dirt]

To follow Legalism, it would be required to adhere to the rule of law. Ai Weiwei's opinion piece is exactly saying that there is no rule of law in Beijing.

[Cesare]

Noone said current Chinese government is truly and perfectly legalist (well, I didn't).

[SweetSourSalt]

Is Hong Kong not China? Is Taiwan not China? Is Macau not China?

The ccp just want them all under their watch even Tibet.

[Trien Chieu]

The ccp just want them all under their watch even Tibet.

All countries look after all of their territories, not just China.

[SweetSourSalt]

Taiwan is not run under the CCP.
Tibetan only look to the Dali Lama.
Hong Kong want it own country.

[Trien Chieu]

Tibetan only look to the Dali Lama.

How do you know? Did you interview all Tibetans from China? Isn't Tibet have their own Dali Lama, not the one from India?

[SweetSourSalt]

Is Tibet not it own country?